


Lesson

by QueenofEden



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, background established maric/loghain, important life lessons with loghain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-25
Updated: 2015-03-25
Packaged: 2018-03-19 13:37:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3612018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenofEden/pseuds/QueenofEden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loghain and a young Olympia Cousland share an odd bonding moment</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lesson

**9:23 Dragon**

The impact reverberated through Olympia’s sword arm, knocking her back a step. Had the sword in her hand been her true blade, and not the dulled, unwieldy practice one Master Etienne insisted she use, the practice dummy would be headless. Instead it seemed to stare back at her mockingly, despite it’s lack of face. She readied her next stance, bringing the shorter dagger in her left hand up to deflect an imaginary enemy’s thrust when the sound of someone clearing their throat caught her attention.

Her head whipped around so violently the long, sweat-soaked braid that hung down her back nearly flew up and slapped her in the face. Sputtering, she shook it away, her gaze finally falling on who had interrupted her.

“Teyrn Mac Tir.” she said with a start, dropping into a unconscious, practiced curtsy despite being dressed in only simple leathers. “Forgive me, I didn’t hear you enter.”

“And had I been an enemy, you’d be dead.” he replied gruffly, but his face was relaxed, almost pleasant. Olympia glanced around at the otherwise empty yard, unsure of whether he was joking. She’d never heard the normally stern Teyrn joke before, and wasn’t sure he was capable.

“It’s just practice, My Lord.” she said tentatively, rolling one of her shoulders against the stiffness that threatened from stopping her exercises so suddenly.

Loghain hummed, clasping his arms behind him. “Practice is meant to hone our abilities. Do you think your arms master would be pleased if all his hard work was wasted on a girl with an assassin’s blade sticking out of her back?”

Olympia bristled, an embarrassed flush creeping up her neck. “No, I suppose not My Lord.” she replied with forced politeness, and then a beat later because she could not help herself. “Did My Lord come out here just to criticize me, or was there another reason?”

Her brashness seemed to amuse him, the corner of his mouth turning up into a smirk as a small chuckle rumbled in his chest.

“I was looking for our king actually, I seemed to have misplaced him.” The smirk grew a fraction of an inch. It seemed he was capable of humor after all, Olympia mused. “Your father suggested he may be out here with you.”

Olympia made a grand gesture of looking all around, resisting the urge to pick up her feet and look under those as well. “Well as you can see, he isn’t. I haven’t seen him since luncheon, perhaps he’s with Fergus.” Loghain nodded, but made no move to leave. Olympia shifted restlessly from one foot to the other. Was she just supposed to go back to her drills with him standing there watching? Years of her mother’s impassioned etiquette lessons said no, but well, Teyrn Mac Tir wasn’t just another visiting noble, he was a warrior in his own right. Surely he would understand?

“I’d be happy to help you search for him, but if I don’t finish my sets for the day, Master Etienne will make me run double laps around the soldier’s compound.” she said somewhat lamely, hoping she’d been gentle enough in her dismissal to not cause offense.

“We wouldn’t want that.” he replied, inclining his head to her. “My apologies for interrupting you.”

Eager for the strange interaction to be over with, and not wanting to wait around to see him out, Olympia turned about and immediately settled back into her regiment. She brought her longsword down across the chest of the dummy, putting a deep gash in the wood, and felt quite pleased with herself until she heard the Teyrn’s voice from behind her.

“You’re dropping your left shoulder on your riposte.” he said casually, stepping around beside the dummy into her line of sight. “And your right grip is too loose. If that swing had been parried, you would have lost your sword.”

Olympia clenched her jaw, drawing a deep breath in through her nose. Perhaps it had been a blessing in disguise that he’d never deigned speak to her much before now.

“I mean no offense with my corrections.” he continued, apparently sensing her agitation. “You are quite skilled for-”

“For a girl?” she snapped bitterly. She could still recall with perfect clarity Arl Howe’s snide comments the last time he’d visited and walked past her fencing in the yard. Mother hadn’t even chided him, had just told her to make sure she cleaned herself up before supper. It was always the same when other nobles visited, even those who had fought in the rebellion beside Queen Rowan, why should the Teyrn be any different?

“I was going to say ‘for someone so young’, actually.” Loghain finished, interrupting her thoughts.

“I’ll be fourteen this Haring.” she replied with a sniff, wiping a droplet of sweat from her brow with her forearm.

“I rest my case.” he shrugged. “But since you brought it up, yes, you are also quite skilled  _for a girl,_ though you shouldn’t say it with such vitriol; some of the greatest warriors I ever knew were women.” Something passed across his face, a look Olympia couldn’t quiet decipher, but it was gone nearly as quickly as it had come. When he spoke again, his voice was unusually quiet. “If there’s one thing you should remember it’s that if you take pride in who you are, no one will ever be able to use it against you.”

Unsure of what to say, Olympia simply bowed her head, eyes searching the dirt below her for guidance.

“I- thank you My-”

“There you are Loghain! I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” King Maric’s sudden outburst sent the few birds who had settled along the wall soaring back up into the sky.

“Are you harassing poor Olympia?” Maric asked him playfully, clapping his friend on the shoulder when he reached them. Loghain rolled his eyes and shrugged his hand away, which only managed to make Maric’s grin grow wider.

“The Teyrn was helping me with my sword practice, Your Majesty.” Olympia replied, and Maric cocked a golden eyebrow.

“I’d be dead a hundred times over were it not for Loghain’s sword arm.” he said. “You should listen to what he has to say.”

“Do as I say, not as I do?” Loghain asked him dryly, and Maric laughed. Even Olympia smiled a little; It was hard not to in Maric’s presence, his good nature almost contagious.

“Yes,  _well,_ ” Maric coughed, looking a tad sheepish. “We shouldn’t be bothering Olympia any longer, she seems quite busy. If you’ll excuse us, my dear.”

Olympia nodded and performed another useless curtsy as the two men walked quickly out of the yard and back into the castle proper. When they were out of sight, she turned her attention back to the dummy, raised her sword arm once again and, with a sigh, tightened her grip.


End file.
